General Edmunds was born in
Oradell, N.J., in 1919. He graduated from the South Kent School in
Connecticut in 1937 and enlisted in the 1st Infantry Division in
1939. He entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and
attended flying training at Stewart Field, N.Y., prior to graduation
from the academy in June 1944 with a commission as second
lieutenant.

He then was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific
Theater of Operations where he served in wing and squadron officer
positions.

In March 1948 General Edmunds was assigned to the
Armed Forces Special Weapons Project at Sandia Base, N.M. He served
with the Research and Development Division at Sandia Base until
January 1950 when he attended the Air Tactical School at Tyndall Air
Force Base, Fla. He returned to the Research and Development
Division in June 1950.

In December 1951 he was appointed
assistant director of special weapons in the Operations Division of
Headquarters Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Va. While
at Headquarters TAC, he also served in positions as staff operations
officer and chief, Atomic Division. In July 1954 he was assigned to
the 21st Fighter Wing and served as air operations officer and
commander of the 531st Fighter Bomber Squadron.

From
February 1958 to August 1961, General Edmunds served at Headquarters
U.S. Air Force in Washington, D.C., first as operations staff
officer, Operations and Weapons Systems Division, the Inspector
General, and later, as special assistant to the chief of staff of
the Air Force.

After attending the U.S. Naval War College at
Newport, R.I., from August 1961 to July 1962, he was assigned as
deputy director of requirements and later as chief, Fighter
Reconnaissance Division, Headquarters TAC.

In September 1964
General Edmunds was assigned to Vietnam as deputy for air operations
to the assistant chief of staff for operations (J-3) Military
Assistance Command, Vietnam. At the completion of his tour in
Vietnam he was assigned to the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff as a member of the Pacific Division and later as chief of the
Current Operations Branch, Pacific Division. In November 1966 he was
assigned as the Air Force member of the chairman's Staff Group.

General Edmunds was assigned as 57th Air Division commander
with headquarters at Westover Air Force Base, Mass., in August 1968.
He assumed command of the 4252nd Strategic Wing with headquarters at
Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, in August 1969.

His military
decorations include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Air
Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal and Army Commendation Medal.